Bailout first, talks later on Cyprus: UN

NICOSIA

A United Nations envoy has said a bid to restart stalled talks to reunify the divided island of Cyprus will only happen after the country concludes negotiations with prospective international creditors for a rescue loan that it needs in order not to go bankrupt.

After talks with newly elected President Nicos Anastasiades yesterday, Alexander Downer said bailout talks between Greek Cyprus, the other 16 countries that use the euro, and the IMF, now took precedence. He said this would give the U.N. plenty of time to prepare for an eventual resumption of reunifications talks, The Associated Press reported.

Turkey ready to ‘reset’

Meanwhile, Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bağış has announced that Turkey is ready to “reset” to solve the Cyprus issue. Bağış cited the fact that Anastasiades had voted “yes” to Kofi Annan’s peace plan referendum and courageously showed his support for a resolution of the Cyprus issue. “We hope his new title will support his previous reconciliatory attitude, rather than cast a shadow over it,” Anatolia news agency quoted him as saying.